Diasporic Consciousness: Family, History, Identity, and Language in Selected Poems by Sujata Bhatt

Abstract

The present study looks into the selected poems by Sujata Bhatt─“Partition” (2000),“A Search for my Tongue”(1988), and “A Different History” (1988), with special reference to James Clifford’s �Diasporic Consciousness’. It aims at exploring the several different aspects of selected poems by Bhatt, such as family portraits, displacement, language, identity, history and endeavors to confirm these to the theoretical framework of �Diasporic Consciousness’ put forth by James Clifford. A close reading technique is undertaken in order to analyze the selected poems by Bhatt through the lens of Diasporic Consciousness. Moreover, this close reading method contributes to investigate the reasons behind Sujata Bhatt’s employment of the aforementioned concepts in the selected poems. This article follows a qualitative research methodology to inquire the notions of family portraits, dislocation etc. keeping in view Bhatt’s tendency towards diasporic consciousness and its portrayal in the selected poetic works. Hence, this study is an attempt to have a deeper insight into the traumatic experiences of an Indian layman during and after the Partition of Indian subcontinent in 1947. By presenting an account of the diasporic sufferings due to Partition 1947 in selected poems by Sujata Bhatt, this study retains its social significance for its universal relevance and validity of the concept of diaspora. It holds its importance in literature because it helps the readers easily comprehend the diasporic hardships of people like Sujata Bhatt by relating them to the major political movements in many other countries around the world, that caused their country folks to experience the same dilemma of being diasporas e.g. Afghan, Iranian, and African diasporas.

Keywords:

Diasporic Consciousness, Family, Diaspora, Displacement, Identity, History